Dispensing machine



April 19, 1938. c. v. VANBERGEN DIPENSING MACHINE Filed Oct. 50, 1936 ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 19, 1938 UNITED STATES DISPENSING MACHINE Charles V. Vanbergen, Loweld Bark, near Crawley,. England- Application-October 30, 1936, Serial No. 108,337' In Great Britain March. 26, 1936` 3 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for dispenseration and which is adapted to contain and de liver a very much greater number of packages without attention than is possible with apparatus of usual construction.

With these objects in view theinvention provides a magazine containing the packages stored in a plurality of separate piles in chutes or the i.; like and a similar plurality of ejectors operatively associated with the magazine. Relative rotation between the magazine and an ejector operating device effects ejection of a package from each chute or the like as the latter comes to a certain rotary position relative to the said ejector operating device.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a side elevation ofA a magazine and ejector mechanism embodyingthe invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the parts of the machine shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3" is a vertical section on line 3-3 of Fig.

30 2, the operating mechanism for the magazine being omitted for the sake of clearness; and

Fig. 4 is a section taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, illustrating the operation of the ejector mechanism.

3.,-, Referring to the drawing, the magazine l comprises a vertical refrigerated cylinder which contains f our substantially vertical chutes 2, 3, 4 and 5 and includes a closed central space 6 which contains the refrigerant. The chutes are disposed -iiat angles of 90 to each other, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, that is to say in diametrically opposite pairs 2, 4 and 3, 5 with respect to the cross-section ofl the magazine I, and are somewhat sinusoidal or corrugated in a vertical direction, as

2.3 shown in Fig. 3, in order to prevent the cartons 'l from turning over and taking up a vertical instead of a horizontal position.

The magazine I is mounted upon a bottom plate 8 which is fixed to the magazine at its lower end 5o and forms a housing for four spring-loaded ejectors II, I2, I3 and I4. The ejectors are located in radial alignment with the chutes; as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the ejectors II to i4 correspond with the chutes 3, 4, 5 and 2 respectively. Each 55 ejector consists of a cylindrical plunger-like part (Cl. S12-64) I^6 provided with a transverse extension II at its outer end constituting an ejector head so that the complete ejector body is substantially T shaped.

Each plunger-like part I6 is slidable in a radial 5 bore I8 formed in the bottom plate 8 which is` also provided with recesses I8a to house the ejector heads I'I when the ejectors are fully retracted, as in the case of the ejector I3 in Fig. 4. A compression spring I9 is located within each plunger- 10 like part I6, its inner end abutting the end of the bore I8 While its outer end abuts the inner surface of the ejector head II, as shown in Fig. 3, so that each spring Illconstantly urges its plunger I6 outwardly. l5

A spindle 22 is provided at the bottom of the magazine I, being rigidly secured in the bottom plate 8 and carried in a thrust bearing 23 in a stationary ejector-operating device 24. The latter comprises a cam plate 25 having a snail cam track 2li-in its upper surface into which four pins 2"! project, one of said pins being secured to the plunger-like part I6 of each ejector II to I4. The cam track 26is of the form shown in Fig. 4, having aradial part 28. As will be seen from Fig. 3, 25, the aforesaid pins 2l project downwardly from thespring-loaded plungers I6 into the cam track 2li/and the cam plate 25 actually forms the supporting base and bottom bearing or the magazine; a peripheral collar 30 is secured to the cam 30 plate and has a single opening 3I directly in front of the radial part 28 of the cam track 26. A wire lip or receptacle 4I] is provided to receive the carton whichis ejected through the aperture 3 I.

The -cylinder I of the magazine has four spiralv vanes 33 fixed upon its outer surface, each vane overlapping the next somewhat as shown in Fig.

1. The vanes terminate short of the lower end of the cylinder I for a purpose to be described hereinafter. 'I'he cylinder I is rotatively held at its 4o upper end by a bearing ring 34. A toggle 35', slidable in vertical toggle guides 36 which are secured to the bearing ring 34'at their-upper ends andto the stationary ejector-operating device 24 at their lower ends, is secured to a cableL 31 fixed to a 45 winding drum (not shown) operated for example by an electric motor. One arm 38 of the toggle is provided with a roller 39, this arm being movable upwards from the horizontal position in which it is shown to a vertical position, but immovable below the horizontal.

The operation of the mechanism described above is as follows:

Assuming that cartons have been fed into the chutes 2 to 5 and that the magazine I is at rest 55 lio.

in the position in which it is shown in Figs. 3 and 4 in relation to the stationary ejector-operating device, the ejectors II to I4 will, due to the contour of the cam track 26, be in the following positions: T'he ejector I4, due to its pin 21 being located in the radial part 28 of the cam track 26, is at the outer limit of its travel and is directly under the cartons 'I of the chute 2, having by its outward movement ejected a carton through the opening 3| into the wire lip or receptacle lll as shown in Fig, 3. The ejector I I is withdrawn one-third of its stroke from beneath its pile of cartons in the chute 3, the ejector I2 two-thirds of its stroke from beneath the cartons in the chute 4 and the ejector I3 is withdrawn completely thereby allowing the bottom carton to fall from the chute 5 into position immediately in front of it. This last mentioned carton is prevented from rolling out by the stationary collar 3i), which as stated has only one opening 3I. All the ejector springs I9 with the exception of that of the ejector I4 are under compression. Upon turning the magazine I a quarter of a revolution in clockwise direction, the ejector I3 takes the place of the ejector I4 relatively to the cam plate 25, the pin 21 of ejector I3 moving in the cam track 26 until it reaches the radial part 28 of the latter when it is released to project the plunger I6 of the ejector I3 outwardly to eject the carton which in the previous position of the parts fell from the chute 5 into position in front of the ejector I3. The ejector I4 is now one-third withdrawn, the ejector I I two-thirds withdrawn and the ejector I2 completely withdrawn, a carton having fallen from its chute 4 in front of it ready to be ejected when the magazine has been turned another quarter of a revolution.

The magazine I is rotated by means of the toggle and spiral vanes 33. When the mechanism described forms part of a coin-freed vending machine, insertion of an appropriate coin into the machine causes the switching on of an electric motor through the medium of the coin mechanism, and a winding drum operated by the motor winds in the cable 31 and raises the tog- ISI) gle 35 which, when the magazine I is at rest, is at the bottom of its guides 3S. The roller 39 on the toggle arm 3B engages one of the vanes 33 and, on reaching the position shown in Fig. l, has turned the magazine through one-quarter of a revolution in a clockwise direction. When the electric motor is switched off,` the toggle 35 returns by gravity and, due to the overlapping of the vanes 33, the toggle 35 rides over the lower end of the vane next to the one with which it has previously contacted and is then in position to eiect a further partial rotation of the magazine.

The magazine may alternatively be rotated by other means, for instance by the motion of withdrawing a drawer by hand or by any other suitable method. The mechanism described need not form part of a coin-freed machine, and may be employed substantially in the form described,

with suitable alternative means for rotating the magazine, for domestic or other use for the dispensing of any desired goods.

Although a particular embodiment of my invention has been shown for purposes of illustration, various changes and modifications may be made therein as will appear to a person skilled in the art. The invention is only to be limited in accordance with the following claims when interpreted in view of the prior art.

The invention claimed is:

1. A machine for dispensing separate packages comprising a rotatable magazine having chutes adapted to contain said packages stored in a plurality of separate piles, an ejector operatively associated with each chute, means actuating said ejectors upon rotation of said magazine for successively ejecting a package from each chute when it assumes a given angular position, a Set of spiral vanes on the periphery of said magazine spaced in accordance with said chutes and an axially movable member successively engaging successive vanes to rotate said magazine by steps for successively bringing said chutes into discharge position.

2. A machine for dispensing separate packages comprising a rotatable magazine having chutes adapted to contain said packages stored in four angularly displaced piles, an ejector mounted for radial movement to eject the lower package from each chute, and means actuating said ejectors upon rotation of said magazine so that in each operating position of said magazine one of said ejectors has ejected a package and is still at the outer limit of its stroke directly beneath the packages in the corresponding chute, the next ejector is withdrawn one-third of its stroke from beneath the packages in its chute, a third ejector is Withdrawn two-thirds of its stroke but still supports the cartons in its chute, and the fourth is withdrawn fully7 thereby allowing the bottom package oi its chute to fall downward into position for ejection at the next operation of the machine.

3. A machine for dispensing separate packages comprising a magazine having chutes adapted to contain said packages stored in a plurality of separate piles, an ejector operatively associated with each chute and mounted for radial movement relatively to said magazine, and means actuating said ejectors upon relative rotation between said magazine and said actuating means so that in each relative operating position of said magazine and actuating means one of said ejectors which has just ejected a package is fully advanced and lies beneath its chute to support the packages therein, the next ejector is partially retracted but still lies beneath its chute and supports th-e packages therein, while the ejector immediately preceding said fully advanced ejector is fully retracted to allow a package to drop from its chute in front of the ejector in position for ejection at the next operation of the machine.

CHARLES V. VANBERGEN. 

